A lot of rumors have been flying around about whats going on with King Industries. KI is under heavy assault by a neighboring Splugorth (TM) kingdom, Naruni Enterprises (TM), and several smaller unaffiliated companies and governments throughout the Megaverse (R). The situation is grim and future prospects are not so bright.

KI has been reduced to its interdimensional factory, three large pocket dimensions, and a distant planet somewhere just outside of the Three Galaxies (TM). They have real estate holdings on Phase World (TM), within the CCW (TM) and UWW (TM). They are a small company in this part of the Megaverse, but own a sizeable amount of land in Center. Most of the holdings that King Industries possesses within foreign governments are not factories, but merely safe houses, a place to regroup, for storage, for selling, and for resting. The Kreeghor loathe this company as much as their former Splugorth masters, so KI decided it best to side with the other two large governments in that region of space. King Industries also regularly helps the resistance in supplying foodstuffs, medical equipment, weapons, and vehicles (a business not without profit, especially when the resistance makes some major achievements).

King Industries have set up a small factory base somewhere in the northwestern territories of the North America on Rifts Earth. Exactly where this base is located is top secret, but KI does do regular business with the black markets of North America mainly selling Knock-Off's in the business' traditional fashion. New King Industry equipment has started being manufactured with the dispersal of the Naruni forces so KI is not as apt to be recognized. The Splugorth affiliates are so fragmented that Lord Splynncryth does not yet fully understand King Industries and believes the company to currently be beneath his notice, but will send in detachments to do a more detailed evaluation within the next 5 years. The Coalition States have never even heard of King Industries which is a welcome feeling for the company that they don't have to add another enemy to their lists. The CS is being infiltrated heavily by King Industries (mainly around Lone Star, but also at Chi Town and the former CS state of Free Quebec), but the current political climate is such that it would not behoove the company to stand for or against the Coalition at Tolkeen or Quebec. There is also a healthy buffer zone of Xicticix between the company and the CS so that it is not likely that the CS will pose much of a threat for the company at present. King Industries have turned a greater interest to the developments in central Europe and the New German Republic specifically, who they feel could make a possible ally in the years to come. No formal contact has been made yet, but some German soldiers are reporting more frequently about power armored soldiers coming to their aid in the thickest of battles. This does not keep King Industries away from making alliances with the Gargole Empire either. The Gargoyles know that there is a company from somewhere in North America that regularly ships them raw materials, tools, and basic electronic equipment to fashion into their own unique technology (which King Industries hopes to one day steal). King Industries has also started actively recruiting spies from Japan to learn about those islands and the technology and magics there. On the surface is not the only location where King Industries has a presence. KI has a small station orbiting the planet and a whole satellite network allowing for instant communciations anywhere on Rifts Earth! King Industries also has a main base of operations in this part of the Megaverse located on Titan, a moon of Saturn, hidden under clouds and glaciers. The Arkhon know of King Industries because the company is also present on the Arkhon homeworld and known for stealing military secrets and supplies and selling them to criminals. The Megaversal Legion has fought King Industries many times due to their former masters. King Industries recognizes the break and welcomes the Legion to the interdimensional economic community (mainly because most of the technology they wanted from the ML they have already acquired). This does not mean, however, that the KI spy network has not infiltrated the Megaversal Legion, it has, but it recognizes the company as a peer to do business with, not a competitior. King Industries has infiltrated large parts of the Phoenix Empire, but finds most of the information there rather useless since the Four Horsemen of Apocoplyse were stopped. Atlantis has been mildly infiltrated because of the caution needed in this particular state as the company would not like any Splugorth to know of the company's presence on the planet. King Industries is carefully watching the Vampire Kingdoms in Mexico and keeping fairly accurate population tags upon the creatures there just in case somebody might be interested in buying some information.

On a pre-Rifts Earth, KI has a presence that is virtually unknown. Most of the technology is not useful as it has already been developed and developed better in other places of the Megaverse. However Human augmentation experiments (a la Heroes Unlimited) have raised a few eyebrows in the company and they wish to learn more. Also the Martial Arts (Ninjas and Superspies) seem more devloped here than most other places in the Megaverse. Hand to Hand Combat is something many sharholders enjoy not only as a hobby, but as a means to conduct actual combat may be the road taken in training KI soldiers.

On yet another alternate Earth in another dimension, King Industries is a company known for stealing military secrets and supplies from the REF (see a pattern here?) and selling to outlaws and foreign governments. However, on this planet they help defend the galaxy from the Invid who attack any protoculture using societies. As KI does not use protoculture, unbeknownst to the people of this dimension, they are able to travel with superior fighting power and virtually invisible.

Because of all this thievery and conniving, most goverments and businesses see King Industries as a threat to be eliminated. While true that they do deliver superior products as knock-offs (much to the chagrin of the originators) they are still infringing on copyrights and are usually seen as a no-good, meddlesome organization making the Megaverse a haven for criminals, spies, and rebel governments.

What to Do?

As mentioned earlier, King Industries is under brutal attack by large corporations and governments. By the conservative estimates, KI will be bankrupt in about 50 years time. The company needs a turn around and fast. While it has been a leader in the development and marketing of new technologies, it sells so cheaply that rather than getting the major contracts they hoped for, they are now going out of business. The shareholders are very displeased at this. They have already started a good deal of criminal activity from prostitution, to smuggling, to selling harmful drugs, and even hiring out their agents as thieves assassins. Still, this will not be enough. They need a power that no being in the Megaverse would dare reckon with.

Ideas as to what this could be have been tossed about. Some say the Cosmic Forge, others urge for awakening the Old Ones. There are no easy answers here. Credit with banks are running low due to the falling customer base. King Industries, if it doesn't dissolve first, will become a second rate criminal organization with dimension spanning capabilities and some aging equipment. For the time being, King Industries is being run business as usual, however, when push comes to shove, there is no telling which direction the organization will turn. Many people fear for the worst, and with some of the shareholders, they may well be right to be afraid.